The present invention relates to a virucide composition and/or a sporicide composition.
Some species of bacillus produce tough spores (endospores) called bacterial spores. It has been known that a spore has a high resistance to a toxic action including a high temperature by heat, a drying, a drug and others and that even those which had been dormant for several years to several ten years has its regenerative ability. Therefore, in a field such as a medicine and a food industry, it becomes one of the standards for the sterilization that spores are completely killed.
In the case of a medical instrument and a furnishing used in a hospital, a protective institution and so on, it is necessary to fully carry out the germicidal deterging treatment from the viewpoint of prevention of infection and the like in the hospital and so on. There have been known various germicides, disinfectants, etc. to carry out the germicidal deterging treatment in a such way as above-mentioned one.
For example, in JP-A 62-63504, a germicide composition containing a cationic surfactant, an inorganic peroxide and an activator for the inorganic peroxide is disclosed. However, for the treatment of a spore having a strong resistance to drugs, common germicides are insufficient and, therefore, glutaraldehyde and peracetic acid having a broad antibacterial spectrum have been used.
In addition, for the treatment of a virus having a strong resistance to drugs, a germicide for common germ is insufficient and, therefore, glutaraldehyde and peracetic acid having a broad antibacterial spectrum have been used. Further, it is disclosed in JP-A 8-502047 that an aqueous solution containing an aliphatic peracid and the corresponding aliphatic acid in a specific molar ratio and containing hydrogen peroxide is used as a virucide.
Examples of the germicidal deterging treatment using glutaraldehyde and/or peracetic acid include that, in case of a germicidal deterging of an endoscope, a sterilizing treatment is carried out by means of glutaraldehyde and/or peracetic acid after a primary disinfection using a germicide of a quaternary ammonium salt type, an alcohol, a super-oxidized water, an amphoteric surfactant, etc. and/or a deterging step using an enzyme preparation, a neutral detergent, etc. and, if necessary, a disinfection in an autoclave and/or a dry sterilization by heat is carried out.
However, the above-mentioned treatment takes so long time, therefore there has been a demand for further reduction and simplification of the steps. At that time, it is necessary that a reliable virucidal effect and/or sporicidal effect is obtained. In addition, glutaraldehyde has a problem that it generates toxic gas of aldehyde to deteriorate the working environment and that it reacts with protein adhering to the medical instrument, etc. to generate a firmly adhesive matters making the deterging difficult. On the other hand, peracetic acid has a strong irritating smell and a strong oxidizing property, therefore it is feared that the peracetic acid erodes a container thereof, a treated matter thereby, etc. depending upon the material used therefor. An aqueous solution containing peracid and hydrogen peroxide as mentioned in JP-A 8-502047 has the same problem, too.
An object of the present invention is to obtain a reliable virucidal effect and/or sporicidal effect by a simple treatment and also to obtain a virucide and/or sporicide composition being excellent in safety and workability.
The present invention provides a virucide and/or sporicide composition comprising (a) an inorganic peroxide, (b) tetraacetylethylenediamine and (c) at least one selected from a salt of an alkaline metal with an inorganic acid and a salt of an alkaline earth metal with an inorganic acid at the ratio of (a)/(b) by weight being from 10/1 to 1/2.
The inorganic peroxide (a) is preferably sodium percarbonate. The composition may comprise (d) at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant and a cationic surfactant.
The present invention further provides a method of killing a virus, which comprises applying an aqueous solution containing the above-mentioned composition on a place where a virus should be killed. The present invention furthermore provides use of the above-mentioned composition as a virucide or for manufacturing a virucide. The present invention may also provide a virucidal method which comprise bringing an aqueous solution containing the above-mentioned composition and having pH 2 to 9 into contact with a virus. The present invention may also provide use of an aqueous solution, which contains the above-mentioned composition and which has pH 2 to 9, being brought into contact with a virus as a virucide.
Then, the present invention provides a method of killing a spore, which comprises applying an aqueous solution containing the above-mentioned composition on a place where a spore should be killed. The present invention furthermore provides use of the above-mentioned composition as a sporicide or for manufacturing a sporicide. The present invention may also provide a sporicidal method which comprise bringing an aqueous solution containing the above-mentioned composition and having pH 2 to 9 into contact with a spore. The present invention may also provide use of an aqueous solution, which contains the above-mentioned composition and which has pH 2 to 9, being brought into contact with a spore as a sporicide.
Incidentally, it is preferable that (a)/(c) is from 1/1 to 4/1.
It is further preferable that (a)/(b) is from 1/1 to 2/1, (a)/(c) is from 1/1 to 4/1 and (b)/(d) is from 20/1 to 2/1.
The present invention inhibits the generation of a toxic gas and an irritating smell, therefore it is excellent in safety and workability. And then, it is excellent in resistance to drugs as well.
With regard to the inorganic peroxide (a) used in the present invention, sodium percarbonate, sodium perborate, etc. may be exemplified and sodium percarbonate is preferable. Then, the ratio of the component (a) to tetraacetylethylenediamine (b), i.e. (a)/(b), by weight is from 10/1 to 1/2, preferably from 3/1 to 1/1 and particularly preferably from 2/1 to 1/1 from the viewpoint of the virucidal effect and/or the sporicidal effect.
Further, the salt of the alkali metal with the inorganic acid and/or of the alkali earth metal with the inorganic acid (c), which is used for the present invention, includes sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate, sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium nitrate, magnesium chloride and magnesium carbonate. Among them, sodium sulfate or magnesium sulfate is preferable. It is preferable that the component (c) is used in an amount as compared with the inorganic peroxide (a) in terms of the ratio by weight of (a)/(c) of from 1/1 to 4/1. Each of the salts of the alkali metal with the inorganic acid and of the alkali earth metal with the inorganic acid may be used solely. However, they are preferably combined and used from the viewpoint of drying the inorganic peroxide and improving the virucidal activity and the sporicidal activity.
It is preferable that the composition of the present invention comprises (d) at least one surfactant which is selected from the group consisting of a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant and a cationic surfactant.
The nonionic surfactant includes a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, a polyoxyethylene alkylene ether, a polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, an alkyl polyglycoside, a sucrose fatty acid ester and an alkyl polyglycerol ether. Among them, a polyoxyethylene (the average number of added ethylene oxide being 2 to 300) alkyl (the number of carbon atoms being 12 to 18) ether is preferable.
The anionic surfactant includes a higher fatty acid salt, a higher alcohol sulfate salt, a higher alcohol sulfonate, a sulfated fatty acid salt, a sulfonated fatty acid salt, a phosphate salt, a sulfate salt of a fatty acid ester, a sulfonate salt of a fatty acid ester, a sulfate salt of a higher alcohol ether, a sulfonate salt of a higher alcohol ether, an acetate substtituted with a higher alcohol ether, a condensation product of a fatty acid with an amino acid, an alkylolated sulfate salt of a fatty acid amide, an alkylated sulfonate salt of a fatty acid amide, a sulfosuccinate salt, an alkylbenzene sulfonate, an alkylphenol sulfonate, an alkylnaphthalene sulfonate, an alkylbenzimidazole sulfonate, an amidoether carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, an ether carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, N-acyl-N-methyltaurine or a salt thereof, an amidoether sulfuric acid or a salt thereof, an N-acylglutamic acid or a salt thereof, an N-amidoethyl-N-hydroxyethylacetic acid or a salt thereof, an acyloxyethanesulfonic acid or a salt thereof, an N-acyi-p-alanine or a salt thereof, an N-acyl-N-carboxyethyltaurine or a salt thereof, an N-acyl-N-carboxyethylglycine or a salt thereof and an alkyl or alkenyl-aminocarbonylmethylsulfuric acid or a salt thereof. Among them, a higher alcohol sulfate salt is preferable.
Then, the amphoteric surfactant includes an amine oxide such as an alkyldimethylamine oxide and a betaine such as an alkyldimethylaminofatty acid betaine and an alkylcarboxymethylhydroxyethylimidazolium betaine. A betaine is preferable.
The cationic surfactant includes an alkyl trimethyl ammonium salt such as lauryl trimethyl ammonium chloride, stearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride and cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride; a dialkyl dimethyl ammonium salt such as distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and a dialkyl(C12-C18) dimethyl ammonium chloride; an alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium salt such as an alkyl (C12-C14) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride; a substituted benzalkonium salt; a mono-cationic compound such as a benzethonium salt and, besides, a poly-cationic compound such as an N-alkyl-N,N,Nxe2x80x2,Nxe2x80x2,Nxe2x80x2-pentamethyl-propylene ammonium salt. Among them, an alkyl trimethyl ammonium salt, a dialkyl dimethyl ammonium salt, an alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium salt or a substituted benzalkonium salt is preferable. Lauryl trimethyl ammonium chloride, stearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, a dialkyl (C12-C18) dimethyl ammonium chloride or an alkyl (C12-C14) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride is particularly preferable.
It is preferable that the surfactant (d) is used in the amount as compared with tetraacetylethylenediamine (b) in terms of the ratio of (b)/(d) of from 20/1 to 2/1 by weight.
When the composition of the present invention is in a solid form such as a powder, a granule or a tablet, it is used as an aqueous solution at a time for use. In case of the virucide composition of the present invention, the concentration thereof is preferably in such concentration that the concentration of the organic peracid is made 160 to 3200 ppm. In case of the sporicide composition of the present invention, the concentration thereof is preferably in such concentration that the concentration of the organic peracid is made 250 to 2000 ppm. Then, the pH of the aqueous solution is preferably 2 to 9, more preferably 4 to 9, further preferably 6 to 8 and particularly preferably 6.5 to 7.5. Adjustment of the pH of the aqueous solution can be achieved by an inorganic acid or an organic acid, and the inorganic acid or the organic acid may be previously added to the solid composition or the inorganic acid or the organic acid may be added to the aqueous solution. In case the acid is previously added to the solid composition as in the former case, the rate of dissolving the acid can be adjusted by coating the acid with a water-soluble substance such as a water-soluble inorganic salt. It is also possible to conduct the coating by means of the above-mentioned component (c).
The composition of the present invention is suitable for virus-killing and/or spore-killing of instruments and furnishings used in medical institutions, etc. Then, it is particularly useful as a virucide composition and/or a sporicide composition for medical devices and instruments including a device or an instrument, for an operation, such as a surgical knife, a scissors and a surgical clamp; a device or an instrument, for a diagnosis, such as endoscope; and a device or an instrument, for a cure, such as an instrument for blood transfusion and a device for dialysis.
Incidentally, the term xe2x80x9csporicidalxe2x80x9d used in the present invention means to completely kill germs which can produce spores and which are in the rest stage or the resisting form.
In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to obtain a virucide and/or sporicide composition having its high virucidal effect and/or sporicidal effect and also being excellent in safety and workability.